


Blue Heart (Connor X Reader)

by Liv4Writing



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-04
Updated: 2018-07-04
Packaged: 2019-06-05 08:24:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15166637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Liv4Writing/pseuds/Liv4Writing
Summary: You’re a new federal agent training under the difficult and demanding Richard Perkins. While investigating the recent reports of missing androids, you end up working on a case with local Detroit police officer Hank Anderson and his android Connor. Hatred of androids is typical for police, but you’ve always been curious about them and find yourself strangely drawn to Connor. In a police world of curse words and tough attitudes, Connor seems to be the only one with a calm demeanor and good heart. As you learn more about androids and unravel the truth behind those who have gone missing, you discover more about yourself and your own definition of a human being.Lots of fluff, hopefully. There's no concrete plan yet for this fic though, I'm just kind of writing what I feel. I fell for Connor just like the rest of you and here’s the result.





	1. My Name Is Connor

You scurried into your office, ducking your head low and praying that Agent Richard Perkins wouldn't notice your tardiness. It was hard being one of the only female agents at your workplace- this was a man's world, after all, and the male agents here seemed to have a particularly awful god complex. The women were hit on or tossed sexist jokes far too often. You would have thought that some of this sexism would have dissipated by the year 2038, yet you were still battling the issues prevalent since the times of your great-great grandmother.  
You sat down hurriedly at your desk, cursing as your wheelie chair almost went out from under you, sending your file folders spilling to the floor.  
All your years of college and training to become a federal agent could not have prepared you for the high expectations of your training officer, Agent Perkins. He wanted things done only his way- in cases, in the office, in the goddamn break room. If they weren't, he would track down whomever had caused the disruption and squash them like a bug. With your dream career just barely started, you couldn't afford any mishaps that would get you on the man's bad side. You answered to his every whim, and sometimes you felt more like his personal secretary rather than his trainee. You might even say you were being treated like an android, and you hated it.  
You straightened the file folders and glanced at one, the first page catching your eye. A picture of a runaway deviant was paper clipped to the page, which speculated her whereabouts and gave her basic information.  
The android's name was Angela. She had bright red hair, although it could just as easily have been blond or brown or blue. That was the trouble with these androids- unlike humans, their appearance was easily changed. You wondered if they could even change the bone structures of their faces.  
Angela wore a stoic expression in the picture, although that wasn't much help. Neither androids nor humans were allowed to smile in ID pictures. The LED circle on the right side of her head was blue. You tilted your head and squinted at the image. That LED circle had always seemed to you to be the only true sign of an android's feelings. The LED alternated between three colors. It was blue most of the time, yellow when the android was thinking, and red when it sensed danger.  
You could give those stages very technical, computer-like terms.  
Comprehension.  
Processing.  
Warning.  
Or you could classify them with emotions.  
Happy.  
Curious.  
Panic.  
Most of your fellow agents would scoff at you for dreaming up such a notion. Perkins in particular hated that androids were being investigated as missing persons. He took the cases seriously only because he saw androids as a danger to humans.  
Knowing what kind of a man Perkins was, you tried your best not to buy into his bullshit. Even so, you couldn't help feeling that he was right about some things. Weren't androids taking jobs? Weren't they replacing humans? If not for the rising fear of deviants, your own job might be in danger.  
Still, how could you judge a whole species on the actions of a few deviants?

A gritty chuckle sounded from above you, and you snapped the folder closed.  
"Don't think I didn't see you walk in here fifteen whole minutes late, (Y/N)," Perkins said, lips pulling back over his teeth in a grin.  
A wolf with his prey. You pulled in a deep breath. You really needed stress putty or something to deal with this man.  
"I apologize, sir. The traffic was terrible. It won't happen again."  
"And you're reading case files in the office? Don't you do your homework? There's a reason you only come into the office certain days of the week, and it's not so you can lounge around and watch TV while you're at home. It's so you can be productive, and report to me for instructions. Can you do that much? God knows if you finished elementary school, you should at least be able to listen to fucking directions!"  
You felt your pulse begin to quicken, a flare of anger and a deep fear at the way he was beginning to raise his voice. You swallowed it down.  
"I can do that, sir. I did already read these as you asked, but I was just refreshing my memory."  
Perkins smirked. "Huh."  
He snatched Angela's file folder.  
"Well, you won't be needing this one anymore. We found it."  
You stood up quickly. "That's great news! Where was she?"  
Perkins glared at your use of the pronoun.  
"It's destroyed. Broken. By the side of a house miles from the guy it belonged to. Someone smashed it to pieces, that's what the responding detective said. It probably got into a fight with another android about whose job to steal next."  
He chuckled, clearly amusing himself.  
"You think it was another android that did it?" you mused.  
"Why not a human? What reason would an android have to destroy another android?"  
Perkins rolled his eyes.  
"Easy there, hun. Remember who's the training officer here. I know what I'm talking about."  
You sat back down.  
"Yes sir."  
You turned back to your files, waiting for him to go away and quit tormenting you.  
He crossed his arms. "You got somewhere to be?"  
You looked up in confusion. Was he really going to make you go out on a breakfast run?  
"It might be an android but we're still being sent in to investigate. I wish we weren't 'cause of how many local cops are gonna be hanging around, pretending to know jack shit... anyway, you're way too pro-android for me to say I like you, but you're less of a smart-ass than some of my other trainees. And not bad to look at, too." You shuddered in disgust at this comment.  
"You ready to ride along for this one?"  
You jumped up. Finally, a real case! And one with androids, no less. Rid the world of evil, help people... that'd always been your goal in becoming a federal agent. An android was dead and someone was responsible. Here was your chance to find out who!  
You slid your gun into its holster and tucked your shirt over it so it was carefully concealed. "I'm ready to go, yes sir!" you said, trying and failing to disguise your excitement.  
Perkins sighed.  
"Yea, yea, yea. Grab me a coffee and meet me by the car, alright?"

***  
Perkins drove the few hours away to the technologically innovative city of Detroit.  
"I gotta tell ya, I really don't like dealin' with Hank Anderson. He's a drunk, for one, always messing with evidence, and comes to conclusions before he even has all the evidence! If they'd just sent me on every case Hank fucked up... man, there'd be a lot more bad guys in jail."  
"He, uh, sounds like a real piece of work," you commented.  
It was always better to agree with whatever Perkins was babbling about.  
"Ha- yeah! That's putting it nicely."  
Perkins pulled up to an old cottage with vines crawling up the sides. It had unusual charm compared to the cookie cutter houses that usually lined the suburban streets just outside of Detroit. You'd only been to the city a few times, but you were quite fond of it.  
"Poor old lady that lives here was scared half to death when she found this thing leaning up against her trash cans," said Perkins.  
You frowned. "Angela was missing for months and this woman just noticed the body today? That doesn't seem right."  
"Yeah, why would she notice? It's not a corpse. It's not like it smells," Perkins snarled, and your eyes widened.  
"Don't try to solve the case here, (Y/N). Just do what I tell ya, okay?"  
He slammed the car door as he got out, and you followed. The nerve of this man was ridiculous. An android had died- maybe it wasn't a human body, but Angela had meant something to the family that owned her and the people who knew her. A little respect was the least you could give her.  
"Ah, forgot to mention," Perkins said, lowering his voice as the two of you rounded the side of the house. "Hank's got a new toy that he's been lugging around. Just ignore it. He doesn't like it either, and he's real touchy about it."  
You nodded, although you had to admit you were a bit excited. You were sure Perkins meant an android, and you'd been dying to work with one since you'd started training under Perkins. Androids were being used more and more often to aid in police work due to their incredible skills in logic, problem-solving, and analyzation. You wondered what an android would have to say about all of this.  
You froze in your tracks. The scene before you was horrendous. Blue blood was splattered everywhere, and Angela was half-propped up against a garbage can, the remnants of her head crumbling apart onto her shoulders. Black began to seep into your vision.  
No. No.  
How embarrassing would it be if you fainted in front of Agent Perkins? You'd trained your whole life to witness images like this, but seeing it in person was something else entirely. Perkins strode forward, squelching through the blue blood like it was nonexistent. He stopped toe to toe with a gray-haired man who had a scraggly beard and sunken blue eyes.  
"Anderson," he muttered.  
"Perkins."  
"Where's your new best friend? He around?"  
Hadn't Perkins just told you not to taunt Anderson? Apparently only he was allowed to do that.  
"Yea, actually," Anderson said. "Connor, c'mere!"

You finally noticed the man stooping down by Angela's body. He straightened and turned when his partner called his name, and your breath caught. He wore the familiar blue android triangle on his jacket, and white lettering identified him as a model RK800. All of that was irrelevant as soon as you caught sight of his floppy brown hair and soulful brown eyes. Yes, soulful. There was no other way to describe them. They darted around the crime scene, taking in not only the evidence but the people and their emotions. Yet his own face did not reflect the cold indifference of the officers around him- it was filled with an emotion you couldn't place.  
This wasn't an android. He was human. You were certain.  
"Hello," the man said as he approached you, Anderson, and Perkins.  
"My name is Connor. I'm the android sent by Cyberlife. I'm assisting Lieutenant Anderson on this investigation." Connor extended his hand for a handshake.  
"Yea, I bet you are," Perkins laughed, looking right at Anderson as he brushed past Connor's outstretched hand. "C'mon, (Y/N)."  
Connor's eyes drifted over to you. You met them. He raised an eyebrow, waiting. You quickly stepped forward and shook his hand. "Hi! I'm (Y/F/N) (Y/L/N). It's an honor to meet you. I'm new. This is my first case! But, um... I'm terribly sorry about what happened to Angela. I wasn't expecting everything to be this...horrible. Was she a friend of yours?"  
Connor looked a bit shocked, and his LED turned yellow. Your eyes flickered up to it, then back to his face. Unlike the other androids you'd met, those who cleaned your office or performed other basic tasks, Connor seemed very expressive.  
"No, she wasn't a friend of mine. She was a friend to the family that owned her and she took care of their son. I'm sure she'll quickly be replaced with the newest model, so there's no need to worry."  
You'd just been about to comment that the funeral would have to be closed casket when you remembered how the world was. You'd floated out of it for just a second.  
"Oh. Right."  
You watched Connor's LED rotate back from yellow to blue. What did that mean? Had he stopped thinking now? What had he been processing?  
You?  
Your eyes drifted back to Connor's and you startled to see him watching you just as quizzically. "I'm sorry," you said quickly, shifting your weight nervously.  
"What for?"  
"I... I was kind of..."  
"(Y/N)!" Perkins' voice, like nails on a chalkboard. "What are you doing? We have work to do. Don't make me regret taking you out today."  
"Yes sir," you muttered.  
You started towards Perkins and were pleased when Connor turned and followed you.  
The closer you got to Angela, the more you wished you could turn and walk back to the car. Perkins laughed when he saw your face. "Oh, this is freaking you out, isn't it? Hey, don't worry. It's just like a smashed computer. Don't think anything of it."  
That only made you feel worse.  
"She's anxious," Connor's voice, confident and matter-of-fact, came from next to you. You looked up to see that he'd appeared at your side.  
"If this is her first case, that's understandable. (Y/N), are you feeling nauseous at all?"  
"She's an agent, she's fine. She's tough," Perkins answered for you.  
You looked at Connor, trying to silently convey your gratitude for his concern as well as your panic. You really didn't want to screw this up for yourself, but you weren't sure if you could handle it. Connor squinted at you, and for a minute you thought maybe he could read your mind. After a moment he simply said "Oh" and held his hand up in front of his body. You watched in confusion as the skin from his hand seemed to peel back and turn a bright white color. Before you could figure out what he was doing, Connor pressed two fingers gently to your forehead and a cooling sensation spread through your mind, chasing away the lightheadedness.  
"Thank you," you breathed out in relief and surprise. Connor smiled and walked towards where Perkins and Anderson knelt by Angela.  
You soon felt calm enough to join them and attempt to pick apart the crime scene.  
"Alright, human suspects in this case," Lieutenant Anderson started, crouching down by the body.  
"We've got the family of the android- mother, father, and their 8-year old son. Mother and father both have time-consuming jobs so they buy Angela to take care of their son Jayden. The head of this android is smashed in- a crime of passion. It meant something to the killer. Or killers. With a cause of death like this, it's hard to tell."  
"Any android suspects?" Perkins asked. Of course he did.  
"The android of the family next store has apparently been acting strange the past few days, and Joseph Warner- that's the father of the household, the guy who owned Angela- he thinks maybe that android's the cause of this. Of course, he could just be pointing fingers and naming names. Connor and I are headed there later to talk to the android."  
"What about the woman who lives here?" you questioned. "There has to be some significance to this particular house. Why would the killer leave the body so far away, and in plain sight? It's almost like they wanted someone to find Angela."  
"This woman's so old she can barely hear or see," Anderson replied. "I almost feel bad questioning her, but I guess we gotta do it."  
The four of you stood. "(Y/N) and I'll handle that. (Y/N)?" You fidgeted, in no hurry to follow your training officer.  
"What about you, Connor?" you asked, turning to the android. "What do you think?"  
"What the fuck," Perkins mumbled.  
Connor peered down at you. "I've scanned the crime scene, and I believe this attack was committed by more than one person, or at least with more than one murder weapon. There are certain areas of the victim's body that are indented or compressed differently than others. One resembles the strike force and impressions of a hammer, the others that of a crowbar. It seems strange that the attacker would use two weapons simultaneously, so then the next best conclusion is that there were two attackers."  
"Wow," you breathed.  
"Of course, I'll need to do a blood analysis to see if there's any traces of thirium or human blood mixed in with that of the victim's."  
"Aw, no," Anderson groaned, shielding his eyes.  
"You'll need to take the samples back to a lab? I can help you collect them," you offered.  
"No, I can-"  
"He's gonna lick it," Anderson warned.  
"(Y/N), if you're sensitive to things of this nature, you may want to copy the Lieutenant," Connor advised.  
"I'm okay now," you said. You were more curious than anything. Whatever Connor had done to cool your mind was still in effect.  
Connor dipped two fingers into the blue blood and placed it in his mouth, then paused as if in thought. Or processing, you realized as the little yellow LED made a reappearance.  
"The only thirium here is that of the victim," Connor announced. He stood and looked at you in concern. "Are you still alright, (Y/N)?"  
"I'm fascinated," you admitted. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to make you feel like a science experiment or anything. I keep staring. But you must be an incredible detective." Connor straightened the cuffs of his jacket. "Well... thank you."  
"He has his moments," Anderson said, clapping Connor on the back. "But I'm pretty sure your training officer is plotting your death. Good luck with that."  
You turned slowly to Perkins, who stood a little ways away with his arms crossed and a smug smirk on his face.  
"I don't understand," Connor was saying to Anderson. "Why would Agent Perkins plan (Y/N)'s death? That is illegal. Doesn't he know we'll arrest him?"  
"No, Connor, just... ugh. You gotta update your 'Phrases and Slang' dictionary every once in a while, okay?"  
"I just want to make sure (Y/N) is safe."  
Your heart swelled a little at that, even as you headed to your inevitable termination. You weren't entirely sure why, but Connor made you feel calm.  
You reached Perkins and looked him in the eye.  
"I don't know what you're doing screwing around on your first case. You can't just waste people's time whenever you feel like. I'll make sure to note this on all of those fancy training evaluations I have to fill out." He grinned and headed into the old woman's house.  
The house smelled of mothballs and old lady perfume. You tried to breathe through your mouth. The old woman sat in a floral-patterned armchair, caged in by her own walker as police flooded around her.  
"There's Helen," Perkins said, motioning to her. "She talks really slow. Here's your chance to redeem yourself- you interrogate her. I'll stand here and make sure you don't say anything stupid. Remember to be firm if you want to get anything out of her."  
You pulled up a chair next to the woman and totally ignored Perkins' suggestion for an approach. You spoke in an upbeat tone and asked Helen about the pictures on her mantel. Finally, you asked some questions about how she'd found the body, what her initial reaction had been upon finding it, and finally, the question that had been plaguing you- why had she only noticed after a month?  
The words she said didn't matter so much as her body language. You weren't sure that a woman this old could fake anything, but you watched for the telltale signs- fidgeting, not making eye contact, and the like. Helen exhibited none of these symptoms.  
"What do you mean, a month?" she asked, sounding appalled. "My goodness, it hasn't been there that long. I may be almost blind, but I'm not an idiot."  
After a few minutes, you thanked her for her time and stood to leave.  
"Agent (Y/L/N), may I have a word?" The voice was far too polite to be Perkins', and it was female. A woman with black hair and tan skin stood in front of you. She could probably be a model in her spare time. "My name is Monica. Monica Chavis. I'm the Special Agent in Charge here."  
You still couldn't believe that was the name of an actual title in the agency. SACs, the other agents called them. Still, it was extremely rare for a SAC to show up for a small case like this. "Nice to meet you, Monica." You shook her hand nervously. Had Perkins already gotten to her? Was this it for you?  
"Unfortunately, I'm going to have to..."  
Oh shit. This was it.  
"...assign you to your new partner."  
What?  
"As endlessly fun as I'm sure it is to work with Perkins, we're going to need to partner you up with one of the local officers. They know the area and the people, and we have the expertise. I've assigned Perkins to Hank Anderson," she chuckled. "Because I think it's funny. And then by default, you'll be working with Anderson's android, since you're still in training. That won't be a problem for you, right?"  
Your heart skipped a beat. "No, not at all. I would love to. Thank you."  
"I don't know that I've ever been thanked for a reassignment- usually it's the opposite- but you're welcome. I'll see you around, (Y/N)." She gave a small wave and moved to talk to some of the other officers.  
You turned abruptly and stumbled into Connor's chest. He seemed unfazed by this or by your now beet red face as he placed his hands on your shoulders to upright you.  
"I'm glad to be your partner, (Y/N)," he said, his voice like water rolling up onto rough sand. "I will miss working with Lieutenant Anderson, but it's just for this investigation. You seem rather quiet, but I have scanned you and I believe that you remain that way out of fear of Agent Perkins. Is that correct?"  
You glanced at Perkins over your shoulder, hoping he hadn't overheard. "Sometimes I don't even feel safe with him," you admitted. "Some of the things he says... well, I never trust a man who laughs at others' expense."  
Connor nodded. "Yes, he is rather offensive."  
One of his eyebrows went up.  
"Am I offensive to you, (Y/N)? Many of the officers despise me, but I was hoping we could be friends."  
"How could I dislike you? You're as threatening as a puppy dog." You stepped closer to Connor, feeling more comfortable with him. Since you'd started working here, he was the first to make you feel truly wanted and welcome.  
Connor frowned. "I... I like dogs, but I'm not sure that that's a compliment. I can be quite threatening. I'm very good in hand-to-hand combat and I'm an amazing shot."  
You smirked. "I'm sure you are. Dogs can bite, but they're still cute."  
The words left your mouth too late and you couldn't take them back. "That was definitely a compliment. Thank you, (Y/N)."  
He straightened his tie. "We should get going. You and I need to go talk to Angela's family and neighbors. Do you have anything left to settle here?"  
Perkins was storming at you from the kitchen, a scowl on his face. You waited until he stood directly in front of you. Waited until he opened his mouth to speak to you.  
"(Y/N)," he sneered. "What-"  
You grabbed Connor's hand and yanked him towards the door. "Nope, that's it, all done here. Let's go."


	2. Code 927: Suspicious Circumstances

_“She’s only 7 years old! I have to go to work. Until I can save up enough for us to afford a babysitter, you have to stay home with her! Do you understand?”_  
_“Why can’t you just leave her with your sister?” (Y/N)’s father demanded._  
_“She works too! Now please, just do this one thing for me!”_  
_The door slammed as she left, and (Y/N) cried knowing she wouldn’t get to her see her again until the next morning._

_“You’ll be fine today, right, sweetie?” (Y/N)’s father asked, bending down to her level. “Daddy just wants to go out and play some games with his friends. You like playing games, right? Like Go Fish? Well, so does Daddy. But remember, Mommy doesn’t like games. She’s no fun. So we don’t tell Mommy where Daddy’s going. Right?”_

_(Y/N) sat in the living room, drawing with crayons. She had a big enough imagination to deal with the boredom, but the loneliness was the worst. She couldn’t leave the house by herself, and there wasn’t anybody her age in the neighborhood, anyway._  
_She scooted herself up onto the couch and took the black cylindrical device from the side table, bought back in the days before (Y/N)’s dad had lost his job. “Alexa,” she said happily, hugging her only friend to her chest. The little blue light flashed on, indicating that she was listening. “Alexa, Alexa, Alexa,” she sang. “I love you, I love you!” “I love you,” Alexa responded. She giggled, a belly laugh that would have made her parents grin if they were around to hear it._  
_“Alexa, I want to listen to some music,” (Y/N) said. “I want to dance!”_  
_“Playing music,” Alexa responded, and (Y/N) danced in circles until she got dizzy and fell over._

Connor drove.  
His speed was steady, without any sudden stops or starts. You were reminded of the very first autonomous car your family had when you were little. It had driven with the same focus and surety as Connor was now, never distracted by what was outside the window or on the radio.  
You tried to wrap your head around how he could seem so human and yet operate with such precision.  
“You have a puzzled expression on your face,” Connor’s voice rang out, breaking the silence of the car. “Now that we’re away from Agent Perkins, is something wrong?”  
“Oh, nothing’s wrong. I was just wondering if you have a last name.”  
You had indeed been wondering how Cyberlife differentiated this Connor from the others.  
Connor seemed delighted that you were asking about him. “No, I’m just Connor, prototype RX800.”  
“Just Connor, huh? I like that. How do they tell you apart, though?”  
“Only one Connor is active at a time, so there’s no need to.”  
“Oh. I don’t know if I could deal knowing there were a bunch of other (Y/N)s sitting in a warehouse,” you said.  
“But there’s not. There’s only one of you.”  
“There’s only one of you, too.”  
“There are hundreds-“  
You waved your hand dismissively. “I know that. I mean there’s only one Connor that’s you. I’ve done my research, I know that androids can transfer their memories and knowledge from one model to the next. But there’s only one Connor that’s lived through those memories and walked where you’ve walked, and that’s you.”  
“That’s very philosophical of you, (Y/N).”  
“I’m sorry, was that a hint of sarcasm?”  
“I’m not sure what you mean.” He smirked.  
“Oh, sure.”  
You pressed a button on the car’s touchscreen to turn on the radio. “What kind of music do you like?”  
Connor sat up straighter in his chair excitedly. “Lieutenant Anderson listens to Knights of the Black Death, and I do, too. The genre is defined as heavy metal.”  
“H-heavy metal?” You weren’t sure you could imagine this sweet android head banging in a mosh pit.  
“Have you tried anything else? Of course, I always have to recommend (your favorite band). But you strike me as someone who could really resonate with... I don’t know... Ed Sheeran, maybe?”  
“Ed Sheeran?”  
“Yeah, he was popular back when I was younger.” You pressed a few buttons until Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect” began to play.  
After a few measures, Connor remarked, “The rhythm is beautiful, but I’m not sure I can understand the lyrics the way you want me to.”  
You looked up in surprise. “Even if you’ve never been in love, you can at least imagine what it’s like for someone else.”  
“Maybe not. What’s it like?”  
You laughed. “I don’t know. I’ve never been, either.”  
“Is it a feeling of success and accomplishment, like when Lieutenant Anderson agrees with me? That makes me happy.”  
You giggled. “I don’t think so. Maybe you are in love with Anderson, who am I to say? But when you see him, do you want to... er... how do I word this for your innocent ears...”  
“I know about sex, (Y/N).”  
“Well, I wasn’t going to go that far! I was just going to ask if you want to hold him and... touch him?”  
“No, I can’t say I have that desire.”  
“Well, okay then.”  
“Is that what love is? Wanting to hold someone?”  
You glanced over at Connor. His brown eyes were focused right on the road with no indication that he was asking a very human question. When he noticed you staring, he shifted in his seat and smoothed down his hair with one hand. Your heart jumped as his hand came to rest at the center console, closer to you.  
“I think it’s more than that,” you said. “Love is putting the other person before everything else, even your own needs. But it means different things to different people.”  
“I like talking to you, (Y/N). People don’t usually tell me this much about what it’s like to be human. It gets confusing.”  
“As long as you keep telling me what it’s like to be an android.”  
“What else would you like to know?  
You looked out the window in thought. “Uh... let’s see... oh! Your skin! How does it work?”  
“It’s made of synthetic fibers.”  
Before he could protest, you snatched his hand up and ran your fingers over it. “It feels real,” you remarked. Connor seemed flustered. “Thank... you.”  
“Do the thing where you make it go all robot-y!”  
Connor’s eyebrows went up. “You do realize that all of me is a robot.”  
“You know what I mean.”  
The skin on Connor’s hand faded away until it was a machine-like white and gray.  
“It’s still warm,” you whispered in surprise. The fingers on his hand curled and uncurled against your palm.  
“Why, what did you expect?”  
“Cool like before, I guess.”  
“Believe it or not, the heat generated by my body is not synthetic. I need it to function properly, and as such it is genuinely me.”  
Connor gently took his hand away as he pulled up to the curb outside Angela’s old house. You double checked the address. “Yep, this is it.”  
The two of you moved up the winding walkway to the front door, and an android answered before you could even knock. He had a long face and prominent nose. “Hello,” you said politely, before looking over your shoulder at Connor. He stood still as a statue, eyes narrowed. He must be scanning this android.  
“Wait right here while I get Joseph,” the android instructed, and turned back inside without inviting you in. Strange.  
A strange clinking noise sounded from behind you and you whipped around, hand on your gun. Connor froze, looking like a deer caught in headlights. A coin flicked once from his left hand to his right, landing in his open palm.  
You tried to relax. Federal agents couldn’t be this jumpy- this was how people got shot. But you’d been taught to always remain aware, and that’s what you would do.  
“What the hell are you doing?” you asked, removing your hand and pretending like you had been brushing off your pants.  
“This is my coin,” he responded innocently. “I can see that.”  
You watched, interest piqued, as Connor expertly flipped the coin from one hand to the next, in, out, and between his fingers, all the while barely looking at it.  
“Here.” Connor tossed you the coin and you just barely caught it, klutz that you were.  
“You try.”  
“Well, okay.”  
Thunk.  
You slapped the coin onto the back of your hand. “Heads!” you called triumphantly.  
Connor grinned. “Here, like this.”  
He stood in front of you and tried to direct your hands, but you kept getting confused.  
“What- but- how do you make it go so fast?”

“I’ll show you.” Connor circled around behind you instead. He snaked his arms around your waist so he could position his own hands over yours. He was pushed up so close to you that you barely dared to breathe. Every movement he made was your movement. The weight of his chest pressed up against you, the shape of his arms. Was it right to feel so attracted to an android? You pushed away the thought as soon as it crossed your mind. Why wouldn’t it be?  
As soon as Connor began moving the coin, you were able to mimic the movements with ease.  
“Cool. How’d you learn to do that?”  
“My brain is a computer. It can predict which motions make the coin successfully flip and which cause it to fall. I enjoy working out different patterns and rhythms. It’s like your music,” he explained, gesturing to you, “but with predictions.”  
The android joined the two of you out on the front walkway once more, and you quickly sprang out of Connor’s arms. You waited for the android to remark on how strange it was for an RK800 to be acting that way with a human, but he seemed to have a sly look on his face instead. The name printed on his shirt read “Erik”.  
“Don’t worry,” Connor said, addressing Erik. “We’re partners.” You shuffled inside after Erik, purposefully ignoring Connor. Partner had more than one meaning, but of course this cinnamon roll wouldn’t think of that.  
“I find it strange,” Connor said, his voice lowered to a volume that Erik wouldn’t hear, “that this android is in this house. Lieutenant Anderson mentioned nothing about another android, which means they replaced Angela immediately after its death.”  
“Her,” you corrected without thinking. “But you’re right. You gave the impression that this Joseph Warner and his family were very close with Angela. It’s weird.”  
Connor scanned the room, his LED dilating to yellow. You tried to imagine what he was seeing. The history of every piece of furniture? The actions of everyone in the household?  
“(Y/N),” Connor said suddenly, his voice tense. He grabbed your arm and yanked you back slightly, and your hand went for your holster.  
“What if this android doesn’t belong here at all?” he hissed. “It could be the android from the other house, the suspect. There’s no evidence that it’s cleaned, moved, or touched anything in this house. It doesn’t make sense.”  
“Then where’s the family?” you whispered.  
“Mr. Warner and his family are down in the basement,” Erik called from ahead, smiling and motioning to a closed door.  
Oh hell no.  
Every instinct in your federal agent body screamed against this.  
Arrest him now! the manic voice in your head screamed, but there was no probable cause. You looked to Connor frantically, but his eyes were trained on Erik.  
“Open the door please, Erik,” he commanded. Erik looked alarmed. “Is something wrong?”  
“Open the door.”  
A shiver ran up your spine. No more cinnamon roll.  
Once the door was open, Connor paused, clearly scanning the downstairs. “They’re down there,” he said.  
“Yes of course.” Erik frowned. “Why would I lie?”  
“The fact that you would suggest your ability to lie is in itself concerning,” said Connor.  
Erik went first and you followed, Connor guarding your back.  
The further you trekked down the basement steps, the colder it got. You drew your gun silently, keeping it hidden between your arm and side. You were terrified, but when everyone else wanted to run away, agents charged forward. That’s just the way it was.  
That’s just the way it was. Your breathing was becoming labored.  
What if you forgot how to shoot your gun? Moving human targets with their own weapons were very different beasts compared to targets at a range.  
Connor brushed his thumb lightly against the palm of your other hand, and you breathed out, remembering that you weren’t in this alone.  
Erik stopped on the bottom step. “Something’s wrong,” he warned loudly.  
You watched Erik carefully, making sure he wasn’t reaching for his pockets to draw his own weapon, but he just kept walking forward. “Mr. Warner?” he called. “Mrs. Warner? Jayden?”  
A woman’s voice screamed out, partially a call for help and partially in pain.  
Your gun went up towards Erik’s head, and the android’s hands went in the air as his LED turned red. You’d hoped you’d never have to be the cause of an android’s panic- seeing that flashing red light caused a pain in your chest- but androids could be evil just as much as humans. Connor was doing the same, and he didn’t seem to feel guilty about it.  
“I don’t understand,” Erik said, seeming unfazed by the gun. “What are you doing? Are you going to shoot me?”  
“You’re a deviant, aren’t you?” Connor said.  
“I’m not a deviant,” Erik said, too fast, his words blurring together.  
“Connor, stay here,” you directed. “You should probably cuff him. I’m going to the family.”  
Behind the corner, all the way back in a spare room of the unfinished basement, the man and woman who you assumed to be Mr. and Mrs. Warner were tied in chairs. They sat back to back in the center of the room. Their son Jayden sat on the floor, hands and feet bound. As soon as Mrs. Warner saw you, she burst into tears. “Oh thank God. Joseph, it’s the police. Please, you have to help us! That android is a deviant. We trusted him in our time of grief and he tied us up like this! He told us that androids are going to take over the world!” she sobbed.  
“Don’t worry, everything’s being taken care of,” you said, because it’s what you were supposed to say. You holstered your gun somewhat reluctantly and set about untying the family. “You’re okay now,” you assured the young boy on the floor. His eyes were wide and he gave a slight nod.  
“Are you in pain, Mrs. Warner?” you asked. “I heard you scream.”  
“Oh yes, the ropes were cutting into my wrists terribly.”  
“Why did Erik do this to you? What happened?”  
“It’s not ours,” her husband said. “It belongs to the Martinez family next door. They were nice enough to allow Erik to come over and take care of some of the chores and household things that Angela used to handle. Then... all of this!” Joseph Warner shouted that last line, and you flinched away.  
“Connor!” you called. Your new favorite android entered the spare room with Erik in tow and in handcuffs.  
“Can you probe Erik’s memory and see exactly what happened?” you asked.  
“Unfortunately, I’m not allowed to do that until it-“ he paused to look at you- “until he is in the station and I am given permission to do so. I can reconstruct this scene, however.”  
You moved down to finish untying Jayden while Connor walked to the center of the room. A look of concentration crossed over his face as he moved in slow circles, scanning every inch of the room and every person in it.  
“There’s no need to do that,” Joseph interrupted. “We know who tied us up.” He shot daggers at Erik with his eyes. “It’s always the androids. We let them into our homes, we give them a place to stay, and all they do is TURN AGAINST US!” Spittle flew from the man’s mouth and he jammed a finger into Erik’s chest. Erik rocked back slightly.  
Despite your attempts to remain calm, a shudder coursed through your body.  
You moved closer to Connor, who had already finished his reconstruction and turned his attention to Joseph.  
“You will not shout like that, Mr. Warner,” Connor said, before looking at you in concern. “It’s not pleasant for any of us.”  
“Android police now, huh?” Joseph rolled his eyes and turned slowly towards Connor.  
“You might be able to arrest another fucking android, but you will not tell me what to do in my own home. Understand?”  
Your arm shot out defensively in front of Connor, trying in vain to protect him from what scared you.  
“He saved you!” you shot back defensively.  
Joseph merely laughed and helped his wife up out of her chair.  
“What did you find from your reconstruction?” you asked Connor, keeping one eye on Joseph. You were eager to be finished with this mess and get away from this man. “Did Erik do everything they said he did?”  
“He did arrange the chairs. He tied up Jayden and his parents. But something’s not right.”  
“Okay...?”  
“Everything was done with perfect precision. Even for an android, it’s too exact.”  
“So what do you think?”  
“I’m... not sure. I need more time. We do have evidence that Erik tied up this family, and that should be enough to bring him to the station for questioning.”  
“Okay, good. Let’s do it.”

***  
The police car that had been assigned to the two of you had a separate compartment in the back for bad guys, which meant you could talk to Connor without fear of being overheard.  
As soon as Erik was safely tucked away and Connor got on the road, you began your apology. “I don’t know what came over me. Connor, I’m so sorry. If you weren’t there, I would’ve screwed everything up. I always panic, and I freeze, and it’s going to be the death of me and probably you.”  
“There’s no need to apologize. But there’s something I don’t understand. (Y/N), you’re afraid of this job. You don’t like confrontation or crime scenes. Why do you do this?”  
You paused and thought.  
“Some people do thrilling things because it excites them, they get an adrenaline rush. I do thrilling things because it terrifies me, and I want to win against the fear.”  
“But you’re not afraid of androids.”  
You frowned. “Of course not.”  
“So you acting this way towards me... it’s not so you can win against the fear?”  
“I... no... acting what way? I really like you. Better than any of the other police I’ve met, actually. You think I’m afraid of you?”  
Connor was silent.  
The car turned onto a scenic back route, practically a dirt road. You were sure this was the long way back to the station, but you didn’t comment.  
“Connor, why do you think I’m afraid of you?” you pressed.  
“Most people, like Agent Perkins, are a little afraid of androids. It’s not unusual.”  
“Well, I am.”  
“Afraid.”  
“Unusual. For instance...”  
You reached over and placed your thumb gently on the LED on Connor’s right temple.  
You traced it a few times, waiting to see if the light would change color. It remained blue but began to blink with a steady pulse. Connor’s hands tightened on the steering wheel.  
“This little device of yours is fascinating to me,” you murmured, stroking his temple. “I don’t understand it, but that doesn’t mean it scares me. You don’t understand me, either. Do I scare you?”  
“No. But we’re unusual that way.”  
You removed your hand and the light returned to a solid blue. Your heart fluttered.  
“Then I guess we’re unusual.”


End file.
